Update your SimaPro to 8.0.5 to receive the updated ILCD method

The latest update of SimaPro, version 8.0.5, has just been released. Several changes described below may be especially important to people working with the Product Environmental Footprint Guide. Make sure to apply your update to receive the updated characterisation and normalisation factors of the ILCD method.

Updated land use characterisation factors

The ILCD 2011 recommended midpoint method is being used more intensively than before, especially since the start of the Environmental Footprint Pilot Phase project. Experts found some inconsistencies in the characterisation factors of the land use category that were provided on the JRC website. They also found several issues in the implementation of the method in LCA software packages. The SimaPro update in September 2014, version 8.0.4, had already solved many of the implementation issues. At that time, however, the corrected factors for the land use category were not available yet. SimaPro 8.0.5 includes the updated factors that have now been published by the JRC.

Normalisation factors, chromium data and single scores

This update also includes changes to the normalisation factors provided by the European Commission, which were added in the September 2014 update. These factors were shown to be incorrect, and new normalisation factors have since been provided in this JRC report.

Another reason for the current update is that we found out that we did not interpret the characterisation factors for chromium in the toxicity categories as the JRC intended. Their intention was to not fill any gaps in the data provided by the JRC, such as the absence of factors for chromium III and IV, with assumptions. SimaPro 8.0.4 included assumed factors for chromium III and IV, which have now been removed from the ILCD 2011 Midpoint+ method in SimaPro 8.0.5.

The final reason for the update is to enable users to view a single score graph after calculating the results of a product or product stage.

In summary

Update SimaPro to the latest version to make sure you are working with the most up-to-date information. SimaPro 8.0.5 includes the following changes: